


The other side of paradise

by 666maggot777



Series: A million miles away [1]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Background Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:14:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23729605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/666maggot777/pseuds/666maggot777
Summary: This isn't entirely abnormal, the closeness between them is nothing new, though, not the same with others. You could say they just make of each other, like Alibaba's height, or the fact Kouen has no fashion sense and needs guidance. He's use to his servants dressing him in the mornings, and dressing himself at night with a simple white robe. Even now, it's the same all the time now, with occasional different styles.Like now, he's wearing fabric that covers his chest and has a longer part that covers just above his knees. Alibaba calls it a dress, only with his arms showing and sides. It's like he wants people to see how well built he is, and Alibaba won't admit it's working
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Ren Kouen/Alibaba Saluja
Series: A million miles away [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709176
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	The other side of paradise

**Author's Note:**

> An enali fic? In our Lord and savior 2020? 
> 
> I just finished this today, been working on it for two days and enjoyed myself :). Haven't found much motivation to write because I'm self conscious, but I like this enough to the point of me finishing it and now sharing it. 
> 
> I know the tag is quite dry *cough* hopefully this'll revive it. Might write more depending on the attention. 💕

Alibaba would consider himself to be fairly well known amongst the Ren siblings, well, maybe not all of them. He can't say he knows much about their distant cousins and siblings, he doesn't know much about Hakuei either as she tends to keep to herself these days, which is good for her. Still, they all come to see each on Samon Island, where Kouen and Kouha currently resides.  
  
Whenever Alibaba has free time, he catches up with whoever he can, rather it be Aladdin and how he's still progressing with his knowledge of the world, and Morgiana with her adventures with the Fanalis, it's all very interesting. He's gotten particular closer to Kouen though, finding him and the older to have more of a natural than they both thought.  
  
Well, with spending 100+ years in a wooden doll body and exploring most of the dark continent, he had plenty of time to think about his relationships with others. He's had servants dress him in the mornings, only at night does he dress himself, which is just a simple all white robe. He still wears all white robes, but sometimes he switches it up with something that primarily covers up his chest down to his knees, almost looks like a dress, just with his arms and sides exposed.  
  
Still, they can laugh together and the atmosphere seems more lively, Kouen always sits by the dock waiting for Alibaba's arrival. Alibaba helps him walk around because his disability makes it hard, while Kouha has no issues with assisting their older brother  
  
He thinks about his relationship with Judar, learning much personal information about his life as the former Magi of Kou, learning things no one else knows about him and Hakuryuu. Their relationship still isn't on a solid foundation, but it's better than always dancing around with him while stepping on hot coal. It mostly consists of oversharing some bit, teasing and constant bickering.  
  
"I should bury you alive, maybe you'll be useful to the soil," is a comment Judar had made after being made fun for his attempts at telling Hakuryuu about his feelings. They do this all the time, make fun of each other for sharing personal feelings. You'd think it was dysfunctional between the two, but it's possibly the only way to bond smoothly with a person like Judar. Unless you're Hakuryuu, then it's easier to make him less tense or more open.  
  
Back to Kouen, they spend time quite often, Alibaba telling Kouen it's because he's getting old and lonely, so he might as well have some company, in turn Kouen's response is smacking Alibaba on his back rather violently.  
  
"You could've broken my spine you goat!" Alibaba shouts as they sit around the fire that's cooking their broth. The broth mostly consists of fish, rice, and onions. It's rather simple really, being as though Kouen can't cook and the meal is hearty enough.  
  
"If your body is that fragile after 100+ years, then I can just snap you in half."  
  
Alibaba tries to hold his food between the chopsticks, but it proves to be rather difficult to his dismay.  
  
"Ugh. I can't hold em' properly!"  
  
Watching him struggle is enough to entertain Kouen, but after awhile, he began to feel for the man.  
  
He took the chopsticks and wooden bowl out of Alibaba's hand, picking up the food with the utensil.  
  
"Say ah," Kouen tells Alibaba, appearing as though he wants to feed him.  
  
This isn't entirely abnormal, the closeness between them is nothing new, though, not the same with others. You could say they just make of each other, like Alibaba's height, or the fact Kouen has no fashion sense and needs guidance. He's use to his servants dressing him in the mornings, and dressing himself at night with a simple white robe. Even now, it's the same all the time now, with occasional different styles.  
  
Like now, he's wearing fabric that covers his chest and has a longer part that covers just above his knees. Alibaba calls it a dress, only with his arms showing and sides. It's like he wants people to see how well built he is, and Alibaba won't admit it's working.  
  
Without any protest, Alibaba reluctantly opened his mouth, saying 'Ah' just as Kouen asked. When he tastes the food, he can obviously taste the broth and rice and a little bit of the chopped up onions, but there's definitely something else.  
  
"What's the matter?" Kouen is only asking because of the distasteful look on Alibaba's face.  
  
"It's um, uh, eh?"  
  
"Eh? The hell does that mean?" Kouen is still holding Alibaba's food like it's a hostage, apparently not giving the bowl back anytime soon.  
  
"It's got a lot of punch to it," Alibaba pounds his chest as he coughs.  
  
The food isn't bad by all means, the broth is packing enough flavor for the whole dish, the fish is cooked fine and the rice is edible. Alibaba isn't sure of how many people mess up rice, but it's simple, and Kouen cooked it, he likes it.  
  
It's just the spices, he's not use to having this much chili pepper in his food, but he's not all THAT against it. It's just...a lot.  
  
After he finishes his coughing fit, Alibaba talks again, "it's quite spicy," quite is an understatement. "But it ain't bad! I'm surprised you can cook old man."  
  
Before Kouen even tastes his own cooking by eating from Alibaba's bowl, he slaps the younger upside his head.  
  
"Ow! The hell! Wait, you have your own damn food, c'mon!"  
  
Kouen completely ignores him, continuing to eat his food. He can't say he taste what Alibaba's complaining about, but it has more to do with Kouen practically being unable to taste certain spices because he eats it all the time. His siblings know about his absurd obsession with spices and always putting it in any dish, they're surprised he still has tastebuds.  
  
Food tastes bland? Chili pepper. To him, any dish can be fixed with just a "little" more flavor, except for sweets. You can't get him to eat anything slightly sweet, might as well make cake and candy as flavorless as possible.  
  
"Here," Kouen doesn't give Alibaba his food back, no, he still wants to feed him.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Alibaba is answered just by the older man's expression, he must be feeling too lazy to even consider feeding Alibaba instead of showing him how to use the utensils available.  
  
"Fine, fine." And Alibaba does as Kouen says. The food gets spicier with every bite, which one wouldn't think was possible, but it's fine because good food is all that really matters. Besides, it means Alibaba has to put little to no effort at all, just opening his mouth and chewing, unless Kouen wants to move his jaw and chew for him, although he doubts that.  
  
He ate until he was full, by that time, Kouen's own dish went cold, but that seems to be at the back of the man's mind. Really, no-one can see how much he's enjoying this, he's been indulging in their relationship since Alibaba started coming around. His company is greatly appreciated, listening to him talk about the years he spent in a doll body, fighting monsters that come from the dark continent, how whiny Judar is (Kouen knows that much already) and pretty much how long it took for him to grow. It felt nice to fight alongside him when he could, their flames mingled together and could burn anything they touched.  
  
Isn't that someone you want to rule with?  
  
He doesn't want to be king, he never did, but having Alibaba as his advisor while Kouen leads his army was something he could conjour up as a possibility back then, or maybe not because of the younger man's reluctance.  
  
But, again, they both had years to mature and over think possibly everything. As many years you need to think, grow and have a new mindset.  
  
"It's late, you should go inside."  
  
"Hm. You're right, after that, I'm tired." Alibaba gets up on his feet, patting Kouen's shoulder before going.  
  
"Thanks for the meal man," Alibaba smiles like he's the sun itself, while Kouen can't smile without looking so smug, but that's almost all of his expressions. He laughs like he's laughing at someone's expense, it's become apart of his character, so it makes him charming to Alibaba.  
  
"Actually, Kouen, I don't know where I'm staying."  
  
Kouen sighs, dumping his bowl of untouched food back into the pot or broth, putting the lid on and he blows out the fire.  
  
"With me," "Uhh..alright?" No protest, nothing, it's useless, Kouen would tell Alibaba to sleep outside.  
  
"Help me up," he holds himself up with his walking stick, swinging his arm over Alibaba's shoulder after he leaned over to help.  
  
"You know, you're not so heavy."  
  
Kouen finally gets up on his feet with Alibaba's support and they began to walk.  
  
"Is that so? I guess I can just lean on you for now."  
  
"Definitely not. You'll probably crush me."  
  
"That's the opposite what of you just said," Alibaba doesn't need to look at him to see his smug ass face, really speaks about how much he knows the man.  
  
"Shut up or I'll let you hobble your way home."  
  
🌼  
  
Alibaba helps hobble over to his bed, not helping him sit down gently.  
  
"Geez. Is that how you treat the elderly?"  
  
Alibaba puts his hands on his hips, "so you admit you're old?"  
  
"Never said that," he leans his Cane beside the knob of his drawer.  
  
"Opposite of what you said," Alibaba smirks and Kouen looks scornful.  
  
"Here," Kouen opens the top drawer and pulls out an all white robe, tossing it at Alibaba to catch, and evidently, he does.  
  
"Change into that, bathroom is that door behind you."  
  
Alibaba looks absolutely dumbfounded, like he didn't understand a word of what Kouen said.  
  
"Are you deaf?"  
  
"Huh? No! I just...can I have a second robe?"  
  
"Eh? What's wrong with just one? I don't have clothing like that you know." And even with his complaint, he still reaches for another robe, more floral patterned, which isn't something Alibaba could say he'd see Kouen wearing, but at this point, who knows.  
  
Alibaba catches the other robe tossed at him, very grateful even if Kouen doesn't understand, yet.  
  
"Thanks," he salutes the best he can with the robes in his hand, but Kouen flags him off and orders him to go change. Doing what he says, Alibaba disappears into the bathroom as soon as he opened and closed the door behind himself.  
  
Everything is rather simple, more traditional actually. A washing station and a wooden tub that's big enough to fit two people, not surprising because Kouen is probably the tallest person he knows next to Sinbad. It's not even just about him being tall, he could describe Kouen as someone who looms over you like a tree, he's built in a way that makes him look like a threat and he possibly scares off kids with his looks and stature.  
  
He's everything Alibaba wishes he could be, he's envious because he's everything Alibaba lacks. In the mirror, he can see his face has slimed out a bit, no longer round like a child's face, it's a good thing because he never resembles himself when he was a little girl. Thinking about himself back then makes him want to curl in on himself, but Cassim treated him just like a brother, so that was nice.  
  
Then there's a sudden knock at the door.  
  
"How long do you plan on staying in there?"  
  
The knocking, if you wanna call banging on the door knocking, coaxed him out of his thoughts. He huffs, slowly undressing himself, dropping his coat to the floor first and it makes a soft thud to the floor.  
  
"I'm getting undressed now," he unbuttons his shirt, and more clothes hit the floor until he's completely nude.  
  
One last look in the mirror, Alibaba lifts his arm to look at how toned it is, he's satisfied enough with his his body turned out. Although, his mind wanders back to how well toned Kouen, the scars on his real arm, how callused his fingers are from holding his sword as he cuts down anyone who stands in his way. Anyone not of use to him, gaining scars recklessly just to achieve knowledge.  
  
He might still be the same, but he can't fight with a sword anymore. He doesn't seem to beat about it, but must've been a downer at first, to know he can no longer fight. It was the same for Alibaba, feeling hopeless and defenseless as his body was transported to another dimension. He didn't think there was any hope left, no way for him to return, but meeting the magicians of Alma Torran had put that hope back in his heart and motivated him. Even in his doll body, with no expression, he had to be optimistic about his return to his world, to see the people he loves and cares for. Even goat man himself, it's the reason why they're even around each other. No bad blood, they get a long well, he just wishes he could trace those wrinkles on Kouen's face. He looks more serious, not like he didn't before, but it makes him appear more mature, he grew into his age.  
  
Same with the scars that lines from his shoulder blade and across his heart. He'd like to follow the line like it's a trail, leading straight to Alibaba's own heart.  
  
The idea is indulgent, he gets what he wants out of being with Kouen, it's enough to even laugh with him.  
  
He slips on the white robe first, he doesn't the fragrance coming from it until he finishes tying the belt. It smells like how Morgiana described, there's three smells, like a hint of rum, accompanied by the smell of sea salt and...lavendar. truthfully, the rum smell is from the drinking, obviously, sea salt isn't too bad and the lavender is a bit of a surprise, but what hasn't been? The floral patterned robe that's smooth as silk and now a robe that smells of lavender, it's different from his expectations.  
  
Alibaba is far too distracted by his surroundings and thoughts, so he slips on the last robe and ties the belt around himself rather tightly. He checks himself one more time in the mirror, the robes cover his chest, not like he has much there anyway, and with a look at his feet he sees the white robe is quite long on him.  
  
It gives him more of an idea on how tall Kouen is.  
  
Ugh. He needs some sleep.  
  
Alibaba turns the bathroom knob and peaks from the crack of the door, just enough to see that Kouen isn't sitting up anymore, in fact, Alibaba opens up the door all the way and it appears the goat is asleep.  
  
No wonder he didn't continue to nag at him for taking so long.  
  
He approaches the bed slowly, unfortunately he can't be quite with the squeaky wooden flooring, still Kouen doesn't do anything but turn on his back. Alibaba sees he changed his clothing when he comes closer to the bed, wearing the same white robe, haphazardly put on, his chest is exposed with his big scar shown as well.  
  
The temptation to run his fingers down the still pink wound is there, but he has to shake it.  
  
Slipping underneath the blanket slowly, he descends beneath up to his shoulders, Kouen doesn't seem to care with his damn hair fanned out on his pillow, and for the first time his face doesn't look so tensed, he actually looks relaxed. Who would've thought he could even do that? It's nerve wracking, is there anything that won't leave Alibaba restless when it comes to this man? He's starting to like his terrible goatee, and he absolutely hates it!  
  
He shuts his eyes, thinking more about his friends. If he confesses to Aladdin about how he feels, he truly believes he receive some sort of love advice and encouragement, Toto is straightforward and will most likely tell him to get it over with. Olba is a bit nicer and will try to convince more or less unless Alibaba chickens out and then Olba is done because he no more advice to give. He's also a kid, so what would he expect?  
  
Kougyoku is great comfort, she's his best friend at this point and they get along well, they're also drinking buddies, but booze hits her harder than Alibaba. He deals with her whining and fits, he comes back to Kou to help her and Koumei manage, they still communicate through clairvoyance whenever they're apart and they just want to have a nice chat.  
  
Catching up with Hakuryuu is also fun, he got married before Alibaba could, can't lie and say he wasn't jealous, but the kid deserves it. Judar is extremely loyal to him, never shuts up and seems to have devoted his everything to him, you never see the two apart from each other. He hears about Judar's rambles on conquering another dimension and making Hakuryuu his king, they still keep up the "my liege" thing and Alibaba won't even ask further about that. He knows some interesting people from his exploration of the world, he's had ups and downs with these people, close to killing his best friend and in turn was sent to the unknown.  
  
Still, they reconnected and Hakuryuu gave up on his grudge, Alibaba couldn't be anymore happier for him. Morgiana got stronger and she's more impressive than ever, one wouldn't think a woman like her could possibly get any more amazing.  
  
They're all doing their own thing, they're all fairly happy, even if Alibaba didn't get married like he wanted, he accepted the circumstance quicker than he thought.  
  
He's thought about Ja'far too, they don't see each other, but he still hopes he's alright. Same goes for Sinbad, what he did was partially unforgivable, but it was still understandable to a degree. Not everyone would agree, like Judar or Morgiana, but Aladdin and Hakuryuu are rather neutral despite the fact everyone in the entire world almost literally died.  
  
Water under the bridge, right?  
  
And with Kouen, there's always something with Kouen.  
  
If they so wanted, everything could be ashes before their finger tips, but they're different people. They wanted unity, even with their differences and views on how one should go about unity, they both still wanted it. With the new world in place, it became something true, but the method was also opposed by few.  
  
The world changed again, it's a little better, major difference now as there are no Magi, yet it all seems like it's for the better.  
  
How was he supposed to sleep with his mind running around like that?  
  
He snaps open his eye's, Kouen is turned over and far too close for comfort.  
  
Why bother waking up and telling him to move over when Alibaba can just face the other direction? Of course he won't do that though, that'd be stupid! Why look at a boring wall when you can focus on memorizing every feature of another's face? The bags under his eye's are heavy, his cheek bones are more visibly, he's more calm when he's off guard and he's quiet. Alibaba thought of him as the snoring type, Kouen is far more elegant than that apparently.  
  
Down to his collarbones and that scar Alibaba admires, he can't resist the urge anymore to reach out and simply examine it with his hands.  
  
So, he does. The decision is rash, but Kouen is a deep sleeper, right?  
  
he rubs at the scar softly with his index finger, then moves onto feeling it out with his thumb. The scar is healing well and only rises but so much from Kouen's skin, you can barely feel the jagged line, but touching him is fine.  
  
He should stop, not just stop moving his fingers, but remove his hand as a whole, he shouldn't stare, he'll wake up to his touch soon and what will Alibaba's excuse be? Okay, he can say he's examining his scar, but maybe Kouen will feel some type of way with being touched without permission.  
  
With regret washing over him, he tries to quickly remove his hand, but a wooden prosthetic clasps around his hand.  
  
Kouen's eyelids slowly rise to peer at the man beside him.  
  
"Your hand is..warm.."  
  
Okay, alright, okay. Not quite the response Alibaba would've expected, but better than being booted outside.  
  
"You're not mad?" Alibaba tests the boiling hot water, he's not even afraid of the water being ice cold.  
  
"You know how it feels to touch something of any temperature, only to not feel it at all, don't you?"  
  
For some reason Alibaba smiles, of course the answer is an obvious yes.  
  
"I lived as a wooden doll for quite some years. I couldn't feel the coldness of the air or the heat from the flames, I knew I would burn up if I got any closer to the fire and probably freeze in the coldest water possible from the dark continent."  
  
"Do you feel the heat radiating from me?" Kouen's voice is soft, low enough just for Alibaba to hear. He's not smug, his guard is completely down and all he's looking for is a genuine answer.  
  
Alibaba's mouth is uncomfortable dry, he's definitely gonna need some water soon. "Y..yes." He tried to answer as sternly as possible, he just couldn't help his stutter, although the older man appears happy enough to show a genuine smile, and Alibaba feels understandably warm, Kouen is a handsome man and any imperial princess would be lucky to share her happiness with him. But it shouldn't be anyone else sharing their happiness with Kouen.  
  
"Good. I can feel your warmth too," Kouen leans closer, Alibaba would've mistaken it his sudden movement as something else, but no. Alibaba's neck and shoulder is now a pillow for the older man, which is fine, unless Kouen likes and extremely stiff pillow that has no idea on what's going on, has no idea on how to feel or act properly right now. It's the middle of the night and he wants some sleep. For all he knows this is a big fever dream and he'll be disappointed in the morning.  
  
But Kouen's prosthetic arm slugged over his waist feel too real, the breathing on his neck is too warm, Kouen is too warm, Alibaba's face is far too warm.  
  
"Stop tensing so much, you're making this uncomfortable."  
  
Kouen says this as he moves around to make himself more comfortable.  
  
"Oh, I'm making it uncomfortable? The hell are you doing?!"  
  
"Can you scream any louder? And what does it look like I'm doing?"  
  
Kouen's leg is over Alibaba's thigh and he doesn't know if he can take this anymore.  
  
"Holding me hostage!"  
  
"One, be quiet. Two, you're extremely comfortable. You feel realer than anything I've touched."  
  
He's far too honest right now, you can't get him to be honest when he's drunk, and now he's possibly sleep deprived and saying nonsense. Alibaba's skill at denial is far greater than any skill he could possibly possess.  
  
"Ugh. Fine, whatever." He might as well adjust himself too, he turns over on his side completely and uses Kouen's forehead as a chin rest. The position is weird, Kouen feels much smaller than Alibaba thought, he's being held like he'll somehow disappear. It happened once, but surely not again. One could hope.  
  
Kouen's nose pokes at Alibaba's neck, he wasn't expecting to be this close, though he's still unsure about all of this, he cradles the man's head. Better make most of...whatever this is, even if he believes it to border between a dream or reality just out of fear his affection is returned, he'll make the most of it.  
  
🌼  
  
When Alibaba awakes, there's no way of telling what time it is. He sits up as a yawn slips past his lips. He wouldn't call himself a morning person, but he's gotten use to it, although he's not even sure if it is the morning time. There's another thing he's noticing, Kouen is gone. There's something else, yet again, he unfortunately remembers what happened last night, all too real to even be a dream, doesn't mean he won't try his best to deny it all.  
  
He chooses to not focus on it as he leaves the bed, ready to up and leave the inn and just...go somewhere, anywhere that's not Kouen. Island is vast, so he could be just about anywhere, so slim chance of even bumping into him. With the thought that gives him relief, he steps outside, finding it to be the afternoon, so he woke up rather late. That's fine, waking up in the morning has its benefits as he was taught so by those who mentored him when he once lived with his father, and now it can be tedious with how programmed it is in him.  
  
He peers at the stairs instead of the sky, shockingly, Kouha is sitting on the inn's steps.  
  
Alibaba tries to make little noise when he closes the door, but Kouha still hears because he turns around in response.  
  
"Oh! Ali, you're awake! Would you like some berries?"  
  
"..berries?"  
  
"Yeah! Entei picked them himself." Kouha beamed, he's quite happy about it isn't he?  
  
"He picked em' yeah?"  
  
"Of course! He's learned a lot of new thing's, he had to learn how to live here afterall, both of us did."  
  
Alibaba simply knodded and took his seat next to the younger sibling. He reached his hands into the wooden bowl of berries and popped one in his mouth. When he began to chew, he tasted the sweetness of the fruit, eating more by the handful. Good thing he can't gain weight off of fruit, otherwise he'd have a total meltdown later on.  
  
Kouha broke the silence, "ya know Entei hung up your clothes on that line over there." Kouha pointed to redirect Alibaba's attention. The clothing line was tied from the inn to the tree that divides Kouen's inn and Kouha's. It's impressive really, it's like he can call Kouen a housewife. Jokingly, of course.  
  
Besides that though, he has to ask.  
  
"Did he...wash my clothes?" That must've meant he saw the bandages, which in itself isn't so bad, he can play it off as him bandaging up a wound or whatever. Not too anxiety inducing.  
  
Kouha simply knodded his answer, their mouth was full with sweet berries.  
  
Everything is really strange, from last night with Kouen's cooking, to whatever happened before he fell asleep but Alibaba doesn't like to think too much about it, the berries, and now washing his clothes and hanging them up to dry, he'd rather not think about it.  
  
"By the way, Entei's robes look nice on you, especially the floral patterns." Kouha has to be relishing in Alibaba's visible embarrassment. He looked down at his robes like he didn't know he was wearing them, his face is flushed and he sighs into his hands.  
  
"Another thing, I almost completely forgot! Entei says to meet him...um...I can't remember the exact location..whoops."  
  
"That's fine. I don't think I'm gonna meet him anyway." After saying that, Kouha perked up.  
  
"Eh?! You can't stand up Entei like that! Jeez. You do have bad manners like Entei said." Kouha shoves more berries in their mouth, they look like a squirrel.  
  
"He said what?!" That certainly got Alibaba's attention.  
  
Kouha began speaking with no care of the fact their mouth is full. Talking about bad manners, huh?  
  
"Yeah..hmph.. He said you're ill mannered and whiny. You complain a lot too. Also, you're fat."  
  
Alibaba hopped up on his feet, he's wearing an agitated expression, clearly going to give Kouen a piece of his mind for all the shit he's talking.  
  
Kouha swallows their mashed up food, "wait, where are you going?!"  
  
"To find Kouen," he didn't know where he was, but he's determined enough to search the whole damn island if he must.  
  
"Uh, check over there?" And Kouha pointed towards the crop field, Alibaba obviously went that direction.  
  
With him out of sight, Kouha could finally laugh. Yeah they're getting a kick out of this, if they're going to help their older brother, they might as well bully Alibaba while they're at it. Not like they've never bullied the poor man before, they're the same age, but it feels like Alibaba is smaller than them because he is naive sometimes. So is Kouha, but no-one talks about that.  
  
They can only wish Entei good luck, or they'll cut Alibaba down.  
  
🌼  
  
Kouen sits on a bench, moldingwhat appears to be a ceramic knife. Really his only talents were managing an army and retaining information on random things he found interesting. He still reads these days, sometimes the same thing over and over and over again. Now, he's taken up the hobby of carving. He needed to catch food some how, after making various weapons, he found his next interest and stuck with it. There's a damn crop field, it definitely explains where all the rice and vegetables are coming from. No way he grew all that by himself, he needed help, but brushed off any help offered. Well, at least Kouha was there if there wasn't something Kouen couldn't do.  
  
Kouha would do anything to help their older brother, so it was easy to get him on board.  
  
He adds the finishing touches, carving a 4 pointed star into the ceramic blade, it's a hassle to get it right without seeing the short-sword in person, so he can't figure out what needs to be corrected, what's on point or any mistakes. He remembers the symbol, the shape of the blade and handle, details is a little fuzzy, but he can only hope he got it right. There's a piercing scream of his name that damn near causes him to screw up. He knows that voice anywhere, the voice he always wants to hear, just not right now.  
  
Once Alibaba gets up on him, he begans to nag.  
  
"There you are you goat! We need to talk."  
  
Not even bothering to face him, Kouen continues to carve away.  
  
"Can we talk later? I'm sorta busy right now."  
  
"No. Kouha told me some things and I'd like to talk, now."  
  
There goes the big surprise, thanks to Kouha's blubbering.  
  
"So they spoiled it, huh?"  
  
"Wait, spoiled what?"  
  
"The gift I made you."  
  
Judging by the man's silence, Kouen spoiled it himself.  
  
"You didn't know, did you?"  
  
"No?"  
  
"Well shit. It's not completely finished, but here."  
  
The ceramic short-sword resembles the one Alibaba carries on his hip. He's sure it's Alibaba's most prized possession, not worth trading for anything, it's the one thing he received from his father, besides everything else he was forced to learn.  
  
Kouen is still holding his hand out, his real arm starting to get tired, and he's growing impatient.  
  
"Well, are you going to take it or is my arm just supposed to fall off?"  
  
Alibaba must've been in a trance, snapping back up to look at Kouen then the gift that resembles his weapon. It's a little off, but he did say it's incomplete.  
  
He takes the offering from Kouen, then sits next to him on the bench after he scoots over and offers him a seat.  
  
"Do you like it?"  
  
"Uh..it's..actually, how long have you been working on this?"  
  
"A week?"  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
Kouen's eyebrows furrow, "yes, seriously. Now do you like it or not? It was seriously a pain to make. My prosthetic stiffened a lot and I didn't have a reference, so I have no idea what needs to be fixed."  
  
Alibaba feels the edges, the amount of detail on the blade is unbelievable, it feels like the real thing, the unfinished star is close to perfection, the grip on the handle isn't too bad.  
  
To Kouen's surprise, Alibaba starts swinging the fake blade around, likely testing it out as if it were the real thing. Not rusty at all, he still moves fluidly, but not like he's been fighting a lot recently. There hasn't been much of a reason to.  
  
"It's..It's amazing! It reminds me of when I first obtained Amon. The star is really close too, the tip of the blade is more curved in though." He's grinning from ear to ear, Kouen can't help but smile as well, but it's very faint.  
  
"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"  
  
"Huh? Oh. Well, forget about it, it's embarrassing anyway." Alibaba scratches the back of his head, he does this when he's anxious, embarrassed or nervous, or all three at once. Kouen is more intrigued, showing a more expressive smile.  
  
"Now I must know." Kouen leans in, there's no more space on the bench so it's not like Alibaba can move away, they both know it.  
  
"W..well..I might've been suckered into meeting you by Kouha."  
  
Alibaba isn't even looking at the older man, his piercing stare is far greater than the embarrassment he's feeling right now, and there's two reasons for that.  
  
"Oh? Did they lie to you?"  
  
"Yes, unfortunately. They told me you called me ill mannered and fat."  
  
There's no response, just silence that stretches out uncomfortably too long.  
  
Alibaba reluctantly faces the other man, only to see a blank expression on his face. He's not even being smug, he's not laughing at Alibaba's expense, nothing, absolutely nothing. He laughs at Alibaba's misfortune, this is unusual and almost concerning at best.  
  
"Wh..what?"  
  
"Nothing. It's just the matter you came to yell at me because Kouha lied to you, not because I asked for you to be summoned."  
  
Oh.  
  
"Wait, no. That's not how it's meant to sound. I.."  
  
"Did you not want to see me?" This is just like last night, he's open again because they're alone, he's asking for an honest answer, like it'll settle whatever needs to be settled. He's never seen this, even when Alibaba was alone with him in the older man's study, he still kept a stern look, the atmosphere demanded attention, he didn't like silence, despised it when Alibaba didn't start the conversation. Still the same, not very different, but the point is that Kouen's guard is down and he deserves to know.  
  
"Tell me what you meant last night, when you said I was realer than anything you felt."  
  
"Answer me first."  
  
"I need to know Kouen, then I can be certain."  
  
No more lip, no protest or bounce back, no bickering.  
  
Kouen takes a deep breath and exhaled through his nose.  
  
He twirled a strand of his hand between his index and thumb. He has a nervous tick too. Maybe two, he bounces his left leg too.  
  
"You're making this terribly hard, I mean, you can't accept my gift and....and what I'm trying to convey?"  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"Ugh! Are you an idiot?"  
  
"No! I just want to know I'm not over thinking and make an ass out of myself!"  
  
"Take a lucky guess Ali!"  
  
Their voices are loud now, they're too far to be heard.  
  
"Are my feelings unrequired?!"  
  
"Obviously not idiot!"  
  
There's far much silence blanketing over them right now ever since this conversation started. The tension dissipates because of their laughter, anyone who came across the two would wonder what the fuss was about, more so confused than anything else.  
  
"We're incredibly stupid." Alibaba rests his cheek on Kouen's shoulder, if he can use Alibaba as a pillow, then Alibaba can do the same.  
  
"Heh. You know, I've been holding that in for quite some time."  
  
"What's some time?"  
  
"Hm...maybe since I made you my subordinate? But it was impossible in my head because your heart was elsewhere. I could only indulge in your stay, if you disliked me that was fine, but your company was much appreciated. It was....very different if I could describe it."  
  
The smell of the evening air was fresh, the rustling of the field and trees around them from the slight breeze was gentle. It's too calm for their relationship, this interaction, but considering the openness of the two it is surprisingly fitting. Their aura is always friendly, they could laugh effortlessly, drink together and tell stories. Kouen reads to him, he lends the younger man scrolls to read through, he let's him keep them.  
  
It hits Alibaba, Kouen was already showing his affection, Alibaba is just too stupid to notice.  
  
He builds up all this air in his chest to puff it out heavily. Kouen's fleshy hand on his arm is comforting, Kouen is warm at his side, he enjoyed holding the older man close to him as they slept, with Alibaba trying to convince himself he was dreaming, thinking about it now makes it impossible. He knew that already, he's well aware he's stupid, he's not going to give Kouen the satisfaction of hearing him say that outloud.  
  
Alibaba shifts his position to face Kouen, his confession is personal and final. His father did what he could to make his son feel more comfortable in his skin, it was better for his health and officials showed their disgust, he saw it, but he continued his academics. His step brothers avoided him like he was diseased, at least he became close with one, but not the until much later. Mariam called him big brother baba, she'd pat his head as a way to make him feel better. Cassim rough housed with him despite it all, their mother couldn't them to stop being so rough.   
  
The scars he's earned from his lifetime is enough to show he can still take a beaten, he also likes to toot his own horn and consider himself well skilled at hiding his feminine frame.  
  
"Kouen, can I tell you something?"  
  
"I'm all ears, go for it." There Alibaba goes again, scratching his head while trying to find the right words to explain everything in a way for Kouen to understand. Kouen is bright enough to understand, but that doesn't relieve too much of Alibaba's anxiety, he's not all that great when it comes to explaining his relationship with gender, though with Morg and Aladdin they took it easier and accepted it without question, he hopes Kouen is the same.  
  
"How can I explain this in a way you'll understand," Alibaba starts and Kouen raises an eyebrow at this, clearly puzzled already.  
  
"I...um..I was not born as a boy-"  
  
"Okay?"  
  
"Let me finish?"  
  
"I don't know if you noticed, but Koumei is the same. Hell, his voice cracks sometimes and he's close to his 30s. You see how I treat him and address him, did you'd think I'd treat you differently?"  
  
Well, the tension is gone, he had absolutely no reason to even worry.  
  
"This whole time I was getting worked up in my mind, then you interrupt my emotional confession by telling me you already have experience with this. You're a terrible person."  
  
Kouen hums, using his real hand to scratch the younger man's scalp. His hair is long enough to tie up. That gave him an idea, but he should save it for later.  
  
"Uhuh. Better than having someone who doesn't understand, right?"  
  
Alibaba is instantly relaxed from his scalp being scratched like that, so he only responds with an affirmative hum.  
  
"Now, I have a question for you."  
  
Alibaba gives the other his full attention, well, partially, Kouen won't stop massaging his scalp.  
  
"You obviously know the current state of my physical health, it's hard to NOT notice it, you understand?"  
  
"Mhm." He's really relaxed, resting on Kouen's broad shoulder once again.  
  
"So, say if we were to..get married or something, would you be fine with taking care of me?"  
  
Alibaba could've just missed out on the marriage part, he doesn't address it, instead he just answers his question.  
  
"Eh? What a silly question. I help you hobble around on your peg leg already, there'll be no changes."  
  
"So you accept my proposal?"  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
He'll ask again once Alibaba isn't slowly falling asleep, he'll probably say yes to anything right about now.  
  
"That's good, because I've been meaning to propose, my gift is actually my proposal."  
  
"Mm. How nice.."  
  
"Wow you're really out of it."  
  
"Yeah, I slept up to the afternoon, but I'm tired from all the running around I was doing from trying to find you."  
  
"Would you like to go back to sleep? You'll miss out on dinner."  
  
Kouen's hand moved from Alibaba's sunkissed hair to his shoulder, giving it a tiny squeeze.  
  
"Wake me up then, but right now I'm tired as hell, I don't even feel like walking back."  
  
"Too bad I can't carry you."  
  
"Mm yeah." Alibaba removes himself from the older man's hold on him, standing up and stretching with a yawn escaping his mouth.  
  
"Let's go old man," Alibaba offers his shoulder as support for Kouen, and he accepts it with glee. He's still holding the wooden carved sword in his free hand while the other cradles Kouen's back.  
  
"Let's hurry. Kouha will start destroying things if I'm not back, or just get the wrong idea because of our absence."  
  
"Horrible. I hope he isn't ripping my clothes, that you washed, apart."  
  
"You know about that?"  
  
"I also know you picked berries. You're not going to die on your own without me. I'm glad."  
  
"Shut up you rhino."   
  
"Okay, goat."  
  
🌼  
  
There's a loud knock at the front door, disturbing Alibaba's nap, forcing him to become annoyed enough to get out of bed and see who's at the door. Probably Kouen to tell him dinners ready or something, he's the only one that knocks with urgency.  
  
He's groggy when he opens the door, only to find the loud knock is caused by Kouha.  
  
"Entei said dinners read-"  
  
"Dinners ready. Yeah, I know"  
  
"Oh, okay. Well, what are you standing there for? You gonna make my brother wait?"  
  
"Yep. I was tryna get my beauty sleep."  
  
"Really? You don't look any different. Maybe it's the fact your hair looks like a nest?" "Okay you're not going to make me feel self conscious after you rudely woke me up."  
  
Kouha rolled their eyes and grabbed Alibaba's hand, no intention of letting his fingers even slip away.  
  
"Be quiet and come eat."  
  
"Fine. You're such a brat."  
  
"Like I'll let a fatty like you tell me off," kouha muttered.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Huh? I said Kouen will be so happy to see you!"  
  
"Uhuh. Sure you did."  
  
After being dragged like a rag doll to go meet Kouen and eat, they arrive and Alibaba got his free seat right next to the older man.  
  
"Wow you've seen better days."  
  
"Goodness. Do I really look that awful?"  
  
"No, I think you look fine."  
  
His affection is shameless, he doesn't mind giving a small kiss to Alibaba's hair much to his embarrassment.  
  
"Do you have no shame?"  
  
"Can't say. I don't think I mauled the wine enough."  
  
"That explains it. What are we eating?"  
  
Kouha answers in Kouen's place, "rice congee, or as you know it, porridge."  
  
"Never had it."  
  
It's shocking information to Kouha, Kouen has no reaction at all, he pours the congee into a wooden bowl and serves it up to Alibaba.  
  
"Really?! It's such a hearty meal. I remember serving it to my grandmother before she died. Old hag had one foot in the grave, thought I'd do something nice for her. I don't think it was the best though, in fact, I think her cause of death was because of my terrible cooking."  
  
Kouha receives their share after finishing their long ramble about their dead grandmother and their inability to cook a meal that won't kill you. Alibaba makes a mental note to never let Kouha within five feet of fire or any kitchen, they might even mess up the most simplest of meals. Okay, maybe not, but it's just a precaution.  
  
"Kouha, you know that's not how your grandmother died. Stop telling everyone that."  
  
Before Alibaba could even get some of the congee onto his spoon, he snaps up.  
  
"What?! Why would you tell anyone that?"  
  
Kouha doesn't answer, they just giggle as they eat.  
  
"They think people's reaction to it is funny. pay them no mind."  
  
"R..right, of course." What else could he say? He knows the whole Ren family at this point, he shouldn't be surprised and yet he is. Kouha is a strange person who finds the gore of war to be delightful, definitely a threat. Not only that, they admire Kouen, and that's good! It's nice to have a sibling you can be close to and look up to, they just need to stop thinking they always disappoint Kouen. Kouen is obviously proud of them, Alibaba's seen it, Kouen congratulates them on all of their accomplishments, he pats their head even.  
  
Although, Alibaba felt like he let down Cassim, it's been years since his magoi mixed with his and he's inherited much of Cassim's wits, skills at leadership and he's far more laid back than before. People's opinion of him still matter, but there's always this faint voice telling him to ignore it all, he believes it to be Cassim.  
  
"Ali, you've barely touched your food."  
  
"Oh. My bad. I was just thinking about my family is all." Alibaba smiles with content, ready to taste a mouth full of overpowerered spicies, but he'll eat it because Kouen made it, and Kouen likes spicy food.  
  
Yet, much to Alibaba's surprise, the food wasn't overly spicy. He could taste just about everything with the spices adding that extra flavor, making it far too enjoyable.  
  
"This is great. This doesn't make me want to drink salt water. Good job Kouen!"  
  
"If that's your best compliment then I'll take it. I was considerate enough to remember you dry coughing while eating my overly spicy broth, so I dialed back the spiciness."  
  
"Wow, you're way too considerate, you must've replaced the former Kouen, either that or the wine has definitely gotten to you."  
  
Kouha cuts in with a mouthful of food, "nah. Entei has always had a soft spot. He has such a scary face, but really he cares about us a lot. He doesn't think I've noticed, but he tries so hard to impress you-"  
  
"Kouha, I will throttle you if you don't shut up." Kouha claps a hand over their mouth, regret is obvious in their expression. The interaction between the two siblings is enough to make Alibaba smile. For a moment, he feels like a spectator, but he rethinks his choice of words.  
  
Kouen really wants him to be apart of his family, his life and everything else centered around it. He's allowed to see Kouha jokingly whine an apology while Kouen ignores them and refuse to give them seconds, truly making Kouha whine some more as they call their older brother unfair.  
  
"I'm only trying to watch out for your weight. You did call Ali fat afterall, so I think if you have a second bowl you'll grow a big belly and won't fit any of your clothes. We can't have that now, can we?"  
  
If this keeps going on, Alibaba might just choke on his own amusement.  
  
"Entei! That's so horrible! How could you say that? It's not like I'm wrong, Ali is kind of pudgy, especially around his waist."  
  
Okay, this ISN'T funny anymore.  
  
"Kouen you're gonna have to get in line, I'm going to throttle this brat first."  
  
"Mm. Not a good idea, I'm the only one who can kill my own sibling."  
  
"Now you two are just ganging up on me," Kouha puffed their cheeks like a spoiled child. They haven't changed but so much, they're still verbally abusive and like to pick on people (Alibaba) because he's always getting picked on for being the youngest, for being more feminine than the rest of their family and so on. It's fun to watch Kouha taste his own medicine, within bounds of course.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Here," Kouen made Kouha another serving despite his words, needlessly to say, Kouha was delighted and thankful.  
  
As for Alibaba, his fill was almost finished, he kept eating as he watched the two go back and forth, he really didn't notice until his spoon made a thud at the bottom of the bowl, it drew Kouen's attention as well.  
  
"Alibaba, do you want more?"  
  
"Yes, thank you."  
  
Kouha isn't dumb, they're also not blind, they can see the delight on Kouen's face when Alibaba smiles at him. Given they already know much just by keeping an eye on Kouen's behavior, more so his demeanor and attitude. He seemed brighter on multiple occasions, taking up new hobbies, learning how to wash clothes (that took awhile), making weapons to catch food, growing a crop field and whatever else decided to pick up. But there's only so much movement he can do, he's gotten tired just from walking, old age will do that to ya.  
  
So when Kouha sees Alibaba and their brother interact, you can see Kouen become less tense, more in tone with everything and willing to put himself on display. He's surely grew a lot over the past years, so it's not surprise, but if Kouha could describe Kouen's current state, they'd call him a lovestruck fool.  
  
Just looking at Kouen smiling because Alibaba smiled is enough to make Kouha lose his appetite, they really can't waste the food their brother made though, it's too good.  
  
So they won't vomit in their mouth, they decide to leave.  
  
Kouha fixes his position, making it easier to stand up without putting their bowl of food down.  
  
Kouen inquired, "where are you going?" As Kouha starts to walk off to their inn.  
  
"Thanks for the food! I'll bring the bowl back tomorrow."  
  
They had completely flagged their brother off, not bothering to answer his question.  
  
Kouen mutters, "That little shit." He sighs when handing Alibaba his bowl back.  
  
"What a night. Where's that wine at?"  
  
"You want some?"  
  
"Wouldn't have asked if I didn't."  
  
That's true.  
  
Kouen brought a big jar to Alibaba's attention when he pulled it from his side.  
  
"It's sweet yellow wine, I don't think you've had it before."  
  
"Mm, no. I'm an occasional drinker. Haven't had much alcohol."  
  
There's a pop when Kouen opens the lid and starts pouring it in a very detailed pottery bowl, dazzled with the symbol of Kou as a finishing touch.  
  
The yellow wine comes out smoothly, the smell is definitely sweet but not overly strong.  
  
"Here you go."  
  
"Ah..thank you.." He pours himself a larger amount, his face is already flushed as it is, he'll lose more face the drunker he gets. It's fortunate and unfortunate for Alibaba at the same time. He has something to tease Kouen about, but the older man's affection seems like it'll skyrocket if he drinks anymore.  
  
Terrible.  
  
Alibaba smells the wine, just as he thought, sweet but not pungent.  
  
"Bottoms up," Alibaba says and he attempts to gulp it down like an idiot.  
  
"Dry your cup, c'mon."  
  
Alibaba's expression after drinking the yellow wine speaks volumes, it makes the older man beside him pat him on the back and laughs. Alibaba offers up his cup, "more," he says.  
  
Kouen chuckles but pours him his cup. Alibaba downs the cup after every fill, the sky is just a blob of colors, mixed together like it was done by a painter. He's sure they're the only one's up, full of sweet yellow wine with their cheeks flushed and the warmth of their bodies. Who knows if they both can walk back, but that's at the back of their minds, they rather enjoy each other's company and laugh.  
  
Alibaba can't complain about being shameless, not when he's gleefully resting his head on Kouen's lap, rubbing circles into the older man's calloused fingers. The palm of his hand is rough, imprints of a handle from a sword are forever ingraved, it's nothing you can forget.  
  
"Kouen...."  
  
"Mhm?"  
  
"Your hands are...extremely big..I mean..my hands are like a baby's hands compared to yours," just so Alibaba can make his point, he laces their fingers together. "Do you see that?"  
  
Kouen had to stop himself from laughing. He cleared his throat and answered, "yes, Ali, I can see it. And your hands are soft."  
  
"Are they?"  
  
Kouen brings the younger man's small hand to his lips.  
  
"Very," and just when he kisses Alibaba's knuckle, he snatches his away and turns over on his lap, refusing to face him like a grumpy child.  
  
Kouen sighed, he still wanted to mess with Alibaba, they're both completely wasted, but Alibaba really can't handle his alcohol. It's late anyway, they should be heading back.  
  
He pokes at Alibaba's cheek, "Ali, come on. We have to go home."  
  
The younger man groans, "I don't wanna!"  
  
Stubborn.  
  
"I wasn't asking." With that said, Kouen forcefully propped Alibaba up and swung his arm over his shoulder, getting them both up on their feet, though it's a struggle.  
  
"Eh? You can't walk me back.. you can barely carry yourself-"  
  
"Hush. You're always willing to help me, let me do this. Besides, I'm not entirely weak, you're light as a feather."  
  
"Ugh...bastard..fine. Do not drop me, or I'll never drink with you again.  
  
"Hmm. We can't have that now, can we? You want me to die of loneliness?"  
  
"No! That's horrible..." Alibaba sounded so sad after he answered, Kouen told himself to stop messing with him or he'll probably start crying.  
  
🌼  
  
There's no windows in the inn, noted before, so Alibaba still doesn't know what time it is, how late it is, or whatever.  
  
In his attempt at sitting up, there are two things going on.  
  
1\. Kouen is holding him hostage, again.  
  
2\. His banging headache is what makes him fall back onto his pillow.  
  
His head is pounding like his brain is trying to escape, it's terrible. Unfortunately, there's not a damn thing he can do for right now, maybe he could back to sleep?  
  
Ugh, probably not. It'll be hard to sleep with that kind of headache right now.  
  
Really, there's nothing he can do.  
  
So, he decides to let his eyes gaze up at the inn's ceiling, there's only an oil lamp on the stand on Kouen's side of the bed, that's what lights up the room, and it was obviously turned up to dim the room a little before Kouen passed out.  
  
Speaking of passing out, he remembers portions of last night. He knows Kouen carried him back, and he feels bad because that must've been hard on him, and.....that's actually just about it. His headache is getting in the way of his focus, which is probably a good thing cause he had to have done something to make a fool out of himself.  
  
He can't wait for Kouen to wake up and ruin his morning.  
Their sleeping position is somewhat similar to last night, difference is Kouen's hand on his waist, his face is really buried in the crook of his neck, he can feel his lips on his neck. He has too much of a hold on him for him to be pushed away, so Alibaba is stuck.  
  
He can't complain, Kouen is warm, his breathe feels nice on his neck, as weird as that is, despite him calling Kouen shameless, he's relishing in the moment right now.  
  
He might wake up and ruin the atmosphere, but he can't think about that. He's indulging in it, it's not like he has to hide anymore, they've established..something. He can trace all of Kouen's scars, flirt with him if he wants, it'll be more comfortable.  
  
The thought of kissing him comes to mind, then he shuts it down. Okay, everything else is fine, but he's not brave enough to kiss him? Does he have to kiss him directly? Of course not! Just a peck on the forehead should be fine, afterall, Kouen did the same last night, might as well return his affection.  
  
Alibaba turns his head, making sure to not disturb the man beside. His hair tickles his face, it's soft, the source of the lavender smell is his hair and Alibaba can't get enough of it. He tries his best to place a kiss directly atop the older man's head, but he kisses his temple instead. It's fine, he's satisfied.  
  
He hears a faint chuckle though.  
  
Kouen is up. He had to be up the entire time. Son of a bitch-  
  
"Good morning to you too-"  
  
"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!"  
  
"I just said good morning, relax."  
  
When will Alibaba catch a break? In another 100+ years? Yeah right!  
  
Kouen rubs circles into Alibaba's waist, taking in his vanilla scent. He smells like clean laundry as well, he's still wearing the same robes from the night before.  
  
"Are you going to tease me?" Alibaba asked.  
  
Kouen only hummed as he sat his head on the younger man's chest, nuzzling his cheek against him. He held him closer, he gave a gentle squeeze to Alibaba's waist, it's some type of reminder, he won't speak on it, maybe his partner already knows. Perhaps Alibaba wants to be more than his partner, he's sat on the idea for the longest, he just didn't think it would become possible, it's a dream within a dream, now a reality.  
  
He sighs and Alibaba shivers in his hold, a hand pressed to his back.  
  
"Ali, have you ever considered settling down?"  
  
"As in?"  
  
"As in marrying stupid."  
  
"Don't call me stupid, stupid."  
  
His chest is soft, so soft, better than any pillow.  
  
"My apologies. Can you answer my question?"  
  
"I have, once. I never followed through, I didn't think Morg should be tied down, I thought it was...what was best. She seems happy, we still talk, not often, but we keep in touch."  
  
"Mhm. Can I ask you another question?"  
  
"If I know where this is going, then yeah?"  
  
Kouen sat up, hand across Alibaba's stomach.  
  
"What if I tied you to me? Would you accept? What if I asked you to bear my child? Are you opposed to it?"  
  
Alibaba doesn't look at him, he doesn't know if it's because he can't, or won't. Either way, that's much to bear. Marriage? Bearing someone's child? No wait, Kouen is not just someone, he's asking him to be his husband. He and Morgiana were once going to be husband and wife, this is completely different, he's being proposed to and asked to raise child...with a potential spouse.  
  
"Ali, please, I need an answer." When has Kouen said please before? Everything is either a demand or he wasn't asking you and the choice is final. He's desparet for this, you can hear it clearly, his gaze can literally pierce right through Alibaba if it was possible.  
  
"you know...you're asking a lot from me."  
  
"I know, and-"  
  
"Please, let me finish," he's looking at him, he laces their fingers together.  
  
"I wasn't expecting to be the one getting proposed to, I did the proposal, I didn't have a ring, but I meant it. Then, I changed my mind, afraid of tying that person done. And yet, despite it all, I feel bad just for...wanting to accept your proposal."  
  
"You.....you accept my proposal?"  
  
"Apparently." Truthfully, Kouen wasn't expecting it to go this direction, it was meant to stay within his daydream, but he wall crumbled because he let it, and from two nights before he didn't see the outcome this way. He's truly only a man, with wants and desires, nothing more, nothing less.  
  
The older man sat up, giving Alibaba's hand a tight squeeze. He's a man, with wants and desires.  
  
"Alibaba Saluja," he's never called him by his full name before. He pulls all the air into his chest, then exhales through his nose.  
  
"Will you have me?"  
  
Alibaba's expression showed his confusion, "I already said yes."  
  
"No- that's not what I mean. You-" Kouen sighs, and uses a different choice of words. "I meant us, having sex."  
  
Alibaba shot up, he was going to speak, but closed his mouth. He scratches the back of his head. His tick doesn't need to reveal he's nervous, the rose color on his cheeks speaks for him.  
  
"Well...I think you should know..uh...I'm a virgin."  
  
"Okay, that's fine. Unless you're worried about something then we can work around it. Otherwise, I'd hate to know you slept with someone before you met me."  
  
A second opinion could say it's too soon, too fast, he doesn't feel a reason to feel oppose it. The issue is his body, Kouen has no issue, but he can't stand the thought of someone else seeing him nude, secretly judging him as their eyes gaze upon him.  
  
But Kouen offered a work around, and ground rules are important, right?  
  
"I'm not comfortable with it, but not opposed. I just don't know how to feel about you."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Kouen arched his eyebrow with curiosity.  
  
"I mean, I don't know how I feel about you seeing me, y'know," Alibaba makes jestures with his hands, flailing his hands up and down.  
  
"Me seeing you undressed?"  
  
"Uhuh."  
  
Kouen begins to twirl his hair between his prosthetic fingers and let's out a sigh, but not of agitation. There's a smile on his face, always faint when his smiles are genuine, but Alibaba pays enough attention to see it.  
  
"I could say I don't care about that, it won't soothe your concerns enough, I know."  
  
He uses his real hand to play with Alibaba's fingers.  
  
He remembers last night, they are small, soft and have wielded a weapon before. There's a scar on his palm, feels like a burn, a cut on his forearm and other parts of his body whenever he got a chance to get a glimpse.  
  
He stops playing with his hair and rests his hand on his lap.  
  
"I can wait, we can wait. Hell, we don't have to get married right now, I'd just like to know if I ever ask again, will you accept it?"  
  
"I can't tell you the future Kouen."  
  
"You think I don't know that?"  
  
"I'm sure you know, we both know that. To answer your question....I'd say..yes?"  
  
"Why did you answer like it was question?"  
  
"I don't know! Just know I'll definitely say yes."  
  
He's never seen the older man this happen before, in fact, Alibaba has to wonder if anyone's seen him this happy before. It's like he's daydreaming, he can't even fool himself into believing that if he tried hard enough, and denial is the thing he's best at.  
  
Although, the moment doesn't mean Alibaba won't crush it.  
  
"Your smile is creepy. Stop."  
  
Then he frowns within seconds.  
  
"Wow, you could win an aware for fastest facial frown in the world."  
  
"You done yet?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so."  
  
"Then come here," Kouen leans over as he reaches forward to cradle Alibaba's face, pulling him into a chaste kiss that catches him completely off guard. It's not bad, he can pull away if he so desires. instead, he does the opposite, leaning in more, trying his best to follow Kouen's lead as it is very obvious he's never kissed anyone before.  
  
It's awkward for awhile, then they start to cling to each other, not letting the other breathe. Alibaba's grip on the back on Kouen's head isn't too rough, but there's a tingle in the older man's scalp.  
  
In turn, Kouen is using his real hand to support Alibaba's back while his prosthetic runs up from his hip to his thigh in a repeated motion. The noises are lewd, neither makes a comment about it. Alibaba falls back on the bed with a soft thud, breaking away from the man towering over him.  
  
He tries to catch his breath as he talks.  
  
"I think I've changed my mind, I'm ready." It's the heat of the moment, but no regret can linger at the back of Alibaba's mind after his final decision.  
  
"Are you positive? Rather you not regret this later-"  
  
Alibaba punctures Kouen's shoulder with his nails, and it's a affirmative enough answer.  
  
Kouen smirks, and Alibaba has a feeling they won't be out the inn for a while. Hopefully Kouha doesn't start knocking on their door.

**Author's Note:**

> Alibaba and Kouen:being affectionate
> 
> Kouha:really? Right in front of my salad?


End file.
